Using Honey

[MrBIP]

Lot's of different information on google search for this one, so, once again, I come here:
If I use Homebrew store purchased Orange Blossom Honey in a beer, what is the best procedure/time to add this:
-Late in the boil?
-At flame out?
-During cooling at some point?
-In primary? At High Krausen? Toward the end of primary?
-In secondary?

Considering the source, is it necessary to pasteurize?

I do wish to retain some flavor; it's not just to jack up the ABV and get FG down.
And would plan on also using some honey malt to help the flavor.
Based on research so far, I'm thinking the best way is at High Krausen or near the end of primary and that I would not need to pasteurize.

Can anyone advise based on experience?

Thanks again,
MrBIP

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

all I can say is used honey before, didn't get any honey flavor out of it , did some research and breweries use extract flavors for the taste and some honey for the mouth feel, a kit I used from Midwest called honey ale
says

1. Steep crushed grains for 10-30 minutes at 155 degrees.
2. Add malt extract while brew pot is off the burner.
3. Bring to a boil and add ½ oz Galena bittering hops. (60 Minutes)
4. Add Honey for 30 minutes of the boil
5. Add 1 oz Fuggle aroma hops for the last 2 minutes.
6. Cool and add yeast.
7. Ferment and bottle. (2 stage fermentation is recommended)

again not any honey flavor

 

[LarryBrewer]

QHB: At 30 minutes into the boil, that definately drove off all the subtle flavors.

Remember that honey is fermentable. If you add it in the secondary, and then bottle before it is fully fermented, you could wind up with bottle bombs later.

I would add it at the very end of the boil, near flameout, assuming you are using a chiller. That way it is fully pasteurized, and you minimize the impact of boiling away all the flavor.

4-8oz of honey malt is also a good option if you want honey flavor.

There was a thread about priming with honey that might have some more info:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=833&p=5599&hilit=honey#p5217

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

yup its considered a sugar in my book

 

[MrBIP]

Thanks for the input.
Certainly this belongs in recipes forum, but here's what I'm working on. (never got to it last "season").
I really like Citra hops and really like Bell's Hopslam, so............

http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... /number-10

(^ That will be my last extract brew. After that I'll spend some time and money getting set up for all grain).

 

[LarryBrewer]

Wow, 3/4 lb of Citra - that is a LOT of hops. Should be awesome and delicious!

 

[MrBIP]

Wow, 3/4 lb of Citra - that is a LOT of hops. Should be awesome and delicious!

I'm hoping!

 

[The Brew Mentor]

With a # of crystal malt and a # of Honey malt, which is basically a light crystal, I would think the beer would come out cloyingly sweet.
To retain some of the honey characteristics, I'd add it when the fermentation is about 80% complete.Make sure it's pasteurized before adding it though.
Brian

 

[MrBIP]

With a # of crystal malt and a # of Honey malt, which is basically a light crystal, I would think the beer would come out cloyingly sweet.

I have the same concern, but at the same time, I'm thinking I need to balance out the hops.

 

[The Brew Mentor]

It's an IPA, there isn't balance in an IPA.
I use only 1/2 crystal malt in my 8.1% IPA and there is plenty of sweetness.

 

[MrBIP]

I use only 1/2 crystal malt in my 8.1% IPA and there is plenty of sweetness.

Thanks, perhaps I back it off and total a pound between the crystal and the honey.

 

[The Brew Mentor]

http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... ct-psa-ipa

Here's a batch I threw together in the store and brewed on Friday.
I don't normally brew with extract but there was a recall on some Briess Golden Light extract and they sent me a bunch extra and said to use it up. After exchanging the recalled product I netted 13- 3.3# cans of the new LME fresh from the Maltster! :mrgreen:
I thought a low cost IPA sounded good so I put this together.
The PSA idea was from Brewers Best. They put one out and donated some money from the sales to Prostrate Cancer research. Mine is nothing like theirs. Notice I hopped with Palisade, Simcoe, and Amarillo for the PSA.
Brian

 

[Nosybear]

Back to the original topic: There are two reasons to use honey and which reason may determine processing. Either you are using it as a simple sugar to lighten body, in that case, add at about 10 mins or more left in the boil to sterilize it, particularly if it's a fairly unprocessed honey or better, eat the honey on your biscuits and use cane sugar. Honey contains lots of bacterial spores so you want to sterilize it pretty thoroughly. When I want honey flavor, I pasteurize the honey and add it into primary after a couple of days. Pasteurization process: Thin the honey with equal parts water. Heat to 175°-180° and hold at that temperature for at least a half-hour, covered. I generally use the oven for this. Let it cool then add to the wort while fermentation is still active. Given honey is mostly fructose and sucrose, for mouth feel, I'll generally use cane, turbinado or brown sugar to affect body, honey is too expensive for that.

 

[MrBIP]

Thanks!

 

[krejcard]

I have done a honey blonde ale. I always heat it up with water for 30 min to pasteurize it than add it to the primary. My beers turn out with a slight honey flavor. I think unless you use extract you won't get a strong honey flavor in a beer.